1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a refrigerator having a through-the-door beverage can dispenser.
2. Description of Related Art
Many devices are known for individually dispensing refrigerated beverage cans. Vending machines, for example, accept coins or other forms of payment and then electro-mechanically discharge a refrigerated beverage can into a basket for retrieval by a consumer. Other known beverage can dispensers simply consist of refrigerated cabinets having doors that swing open or slide open to allow a consumer to retrieve a beverage can from a shelf or a gravity-fed dispensing rack situated within the cabinet.
Electro-mechanically operated devices are expensive, and can be somewhat complicated to load with beverage cans. Refrigerated cabinets with swinging or sliding doors are generally less expensive than electro-mechanically operated beverage can dispensing devices and are easier to load, but they tend to be substantially less energy efficient because they allow refrigerated air to escape each time the door is opened by a consumer to retrieve a beverage can from the cabinet. A non-electromechanical beverage can dispenser that provides the simplicity of a refrigerated cabinet, but does not allow large amounts of refrigerated air to escape each time a beverage can is dispensed, is needed.